As a child who grew up in a kampung in Sembawang, Sean recalled that the elders in the village community always gathered in the evenings under the communal tree to discuss topics of the day. Anyone could comfortably express themselves during such moments of “lepak”, be it fact or fiction. The children were often fascinated by the folklore stories which the adults told as entertainment, such as those of Pontianaks, which refers to vengeful female spirits in Malay or Indonesian mythology.

As Sean developed the concept of this stool during the Halloween period, he was inspired by the kampung spirit intended for the stool which reminded him of folklore stories and Pontianaks. The contrasting manga art featuring the protagonist on the face of the stool, with her features hidden beneath the stool as an element of surprise, represents the recurring theme of contrasts between relaxation and dark humour which is often found in the artist’s work. Instead of another lovely stool, he challenges the audience to imbue the spirit of lepak (the sense of relaxed enjoyment in Malay) and relax on this Pontianak stool.